


A Little Inspiration

by NadiaHart



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Art, Artist Castiel (Supernatural), Baseball Player Dean Winchester, Beautiful art, Best Friends, Castiel/Dean Winchester First Kiss, College, Cutesy, Destiel art, Fan Art, First Kiss, Flash Fic, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Happy Ending, Homophobic Language, M/M, Mutual Pining, Pining, now with fan art, sweet fluffy art
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-28
Updated: 2017-05-28
Packaged: 2018-11-06 02:24:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,512
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11026623
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NadiaHart/pseuds/NadiaHart
Summary: This was it, it was perfect. Exactly what he needed for his final project. Castiel ripped the page out of the campus life newspaper, tossed his paint brushes back into their cup and raced out of his studio.Checking his watch as he rounded the quad, if he hurried he’d be just in time to catch Dean.Sure enough Dean was exiting the gymnasium still in his baseball uniform as Castiel staggered to a halt in front of him.“Woah, Cas, what’s up man?” Dean asked as he helped Castiel back up from where he was hunched over gripping his knees and panting for air.“D...Dean, I-- I--it's perfect.” He gasped holding out the clipping towards Dean.





	A Little Inspiration

**Author's Note:**

  * For [bloodandcream](https://archiveofourown.org/users/bloodandcream/gifts).



> This is a flash fiction piece for my good friend [@bloodandcream](http://archiveofourown.org/users/bloodandcream/profile). Who challenged me to write a fic based around one word, the word was Canoe. She gave me an hour time frame. I went a little over but its my first time so I hope she forgives me.
> 
> NOW WITH ART! By the lovely, talented,  FoxyMoley
> 
> Please note, there is some use of homophobic language and slurs in this fic. It's towards the end. Sorry

This was it, it was perfect. Exactly what he needed for his final project. Castiel ripped the page out of the campus life newspaper, tossed his paint brushes back into their cup and raced out of his studio.

“Hey, what the hell Cassie?” Balthazar snapped, as Castiel nearly knocked his sculpture over in his haste.

“It’s perfect Balth!” He shouted back, waving the newspaper clipping over his head. “Perfect!”

“Weirdo,” Balthazar mumbled, as Castiel sprinted out of the arts building, towards the gymnasium. Checking his watch as he rounded the quad, he'd have just enough time, if he hurried, he’d catch Dean.

Sure enough, Dean was exiting the gymnasium, still in his baseball uniform, as Castiel staggered to a halt in front of him.

“Woah, Cas. What’s up man?” Dean asked, as he helped Castiel back up from where he was hunched over, gripping his knees and panting for air. 

“D...Dean, i-- i--it's perfect.” He gasped, thrusting the clipping towards Dean.

“Later, Winchester!” Gordon called

“Your friend ok?” Cole asked, his face screwed up as he followed Gordon out of the locker room into the bright spring sun.

“Yeah man. He’s good, nice play today.” Dean said, as Castiel finally caught his breath.

“Dean, listen. This is perfect! This is exactly what I need to get me out of my slump and finish my final project!” Castiel watched as Dean looked over the clipping. Confusion evident on his face. Dean pulled his cap off, wiped his sweat with his wrist, and put it back on again.

“Yeah, man I guess.” He said, handing the clipping back to Castiel and heading off in the direction of his dorm. “But what’s that got to do with me?”

Castiel fell in step next to Dean. They’ve been friends since high school, but sometimes Dean could be really dense. “I need you to come with me, obviously! Plus, classes are canceled for the Panther Pride Pep Rally preparations tomorrow.” Castiel grimaced, someone in the student council was a fan of alliteration, or just a fan of annoying the entire student body, either way, he figured it was Meg.

Dean sighed, readjusting his sports bag higher up onto his shoulder. “Why me, dude? I mean, like, I don’t even understand what is so appealing about that.” Dean tapped the paper now wrinkled in Castiel’s hand. 

Castiel was beginning to panic. This was perfect for his project. A project that had been plaguing him for months. His last project before applying to grad school, it just had to be perfect, everything was riding on it. And, suddenly, like fate was listening, the campus newspaper had just show up on his desk. The headline article screaming out at him. Inspiration broke through the wall in his mind and he knew, he couldn't miss this opportunity. But he needed Dean's help, there was no way he would be able to manage it on his own. Castiel looked down at the paper in his hands, he had no other choice... he went for his trump card.

He looked up at Dean, with wide eyes and jutted out his bottom lip, full pout mode. “Please, Dean.” Castiel watched the emotions war across Dean’s face. His friend could be so easy once you learned his tells... and Castiel knew them all. Not only that he was so close to breaking him, just one more… Castiel reached up and gently tugged on a lock of his slightly over grown hair. More specifically, the curl right behind his left ear, the one that Dean always seemed to stare at when he thought Castiel wasn’t looking. He bit his lip, sighed softly, sadly, before turning his gaze back and pouting up at Dean. Like clockwork, Dean's bright green eyes swayed to Castiel’s paint stained fingers and right on queue Castiel gently tugged on the curl. He watched with delight as his friend licked his lips and broke, his eyes, resigned to do what ever Castiel asked of him, slid back to meet Castiel's own.

“Fine.” Dean snapped, grabbing the paper out of Castiel’s hand and stomping up to his dormitory entrance. “You better bring some lunch or something. Make that sandwich I like, or... whatever.” Dean turned his back, his voice growing fainter, less agitated, as he made his demands. If Castiel wasn’t so sure that his friend had no interest in him, he would have sworn that Dean was blushing.

“Absolutely Dean! Thank you so much! I owe you. I swear, all the sandwiches! All of them!” Castiel threw his arms around Dean. Squeezing the other man from behind, and for the moment, letting himself relish the feeling of Dean’s broad, sweaty back against his chest. If only… Castiel thought sadly.

“Ooops.” 

“What!?”

“I… uh... I got a little paint on your uniform.” Castiel said, already backing away.

Dean spun around, and yeah, he was definitely blushing.

“Damn it, Cas!” He bellowed, as Castiel waved, darting back down the path towards the arts building.

\------

Dean sighed again, staring down at the newspaper in his hands. It had smears of green and orange paint on the edges, he fingered one of the marks affectionately. How did Castiel always wind up getting him to agree to do these things. The last one was dog walking in the park. He didn’t even like dogs, neither of them even owned a dog! No, they were walking other people's spoiled pooches. Before that is was bird watching. And why a person needed to be up at 3:45am to see a feakin’ owl sit without moving on a tree branch; Dean still didn’t understand.

But here he was, yet again, standing beside a Castiel so happy he could practically feel the other man vibrating. About to rent a fucking canoe and paddle out into the middle of a damn lake, so said man could find inspiration in nature, or reflections, or ducks... for his final piece.... Or something. 

Dean sighed, as he stuffed the article into his pocket. Castiel looked over at him, his hand coming up to grip Dean’s forearm. “This is going to be great.” He said, with that huge gummy grin that Dean secretly coveted. With out giving him time to respond, Castiel bent and lifted a little blue cooler. “As promised!” He announced, holding it out to Dean.

“Aren’t you giving up your bribe a little early? I mean I could snag these sandwiches and just head back to campus, leaving you to paddle your own ass out into the middle of the lake.”

Castiel's face was pricelessly scandalized. He snatched the cooler back, clutching it to his chest, his cerulean eyes wide and bright in the morning sun. Dean had to force out a rough laugh before he did something stupid, like kiss his best friend.

“Winchester, Novak?”

“Come on, let’s go you hippie.” Dean laughed as the attendant called their names for their canoe.

There were a number of other people milling around waiting their turns for a spin on the lake and Dean tried his damndest not to notice how most of them appeared to be couples.

“Winchester-Novak?” An older guy, with a clipboard and faded baseball cap asked, and Castiel excitedly nodded. Dean tried not to focus on how nice the two names sounded together.

“Yep. How much?” He asked fishing out his wallet. Cas already, feet away, distracted by the canoes and rowboats sitting along the shore. Dean fully ignored the way the attendants eyes flicked between him and Cas, Cas’s bag of supplies, and the cooler.

“This one Dean! This one is perfect.” Cas said, as he sprinted off towards a green canoe near the end of the line. Dean shook his head and handed the operator over some cash. 

“Enjoy your date.” They guy said with a friendly nod, before calling the next set of names. Dean grit his teeth, hunching his shoulders in on himself. _Date, yeah sure._ He thought. The absent comment pushed from his mind as he watched Cas try to climb into the canoe, almost tipping it and all of his art supplies into the lake.

Dean lunged forward in time to grab Cas by the elbow and right him. Taking the heavy bag of supplies, he assisted Cas into the far end of the canoe and then set the bags down in the middle. “Careful with the sandwiches!” Dean said, more to cover his embarrassment at what must have looked like him catching Cas like a damsel in distress. He helped Castiel into one of the two little seats, before climbing in himself.

“Wouldn't it have been easier to rent a rowboat?” Dean asked. He picked up the paddle and pressed it down into the shallow water, sinking it into the muck at the lakes edge to get a good push out onto the water.

“Oh, I hadn’t thought of that.” Cas said absently, his eyes already on the shivering reflections all around them. 

Dean clicked his tongue and paddled them out. He knew Castiel was going to be no help, the younger man shifted around in his seat, pointing in different directions for Dean to take them. 

“Here!! This is it, it’s perfect.” Dean slowed the canoe to a stop towards the back of the lake. His shoulders ached and he had begun to sweat but the soft breeze and fragrant air made up for all the hard work it took to get out this far. Not to mention the look on Cas' face as he took in the picturesque vista. There was a large weeping willow and a few cherry blossom trees on this end of the lake. It was more isolated, as many of the other boaters weren’t inclined to make the twenty-something minute trip by paddle, all the way over there. There was only one other boat with a single occupant, that drifted lazily around, this far out, with them.

“Yes, this is the spot!” Castiel said, reaching into his bag and pulling out a large pad and some charcoal pencils. Dean recognized the look on his friends face, the way his eyes narrowed and his brows pinched. How his full lips thinned out into a thoughtful line. His long fingers scrubbed over the page. Castiel was lost to his art. Dean stretched, flopping back in the canoe, he resigned himself to a long day on the lake. At least it was nice out. A person could really grow to enjoy the cool breeze and natural quiet after being stuck on a college campus for weeks on end.

Dean reclined for a long time, enjoying the solitude, the occasional shout from a distant boat, the bird songs, and the scratching of Castiel's charcoal against his pad. Before long his stomach gave a resounding grumble. “Hey! Gimme my bribe!” He said, sitting up and holding his hand out, a smile on his lips. Castiel flicked a glance at him and grunted, using his foot to push the blue cooler towards Dean.

"Lazy." Dean mumbled jokingly.

Digging through the contents, Dean pulled out his prize. A fluffy, fresh Italian loaf with a garlic pesto aioli, thick cuts of mozzarella, thin slices of prosciutto and a smattering of baby spinach. There was also two beers and a few bottles of water. Dean’s mouth watered as he drew in a deep breath of the delicious treat. He moaned around the first bite and the boat rocked slightly causing his eyes to pop open. Castiel was staring resolutely out over the water a faint blush on he cheeks. Dean smirked to himself and took another bite, giving an even deeper groan of appreciation. Castiel’s eyes widened slightly and he quickly dipped his head, his hand flying, almost haphazardly, over the paper.

“Shh.” He scolded, and Dean couldn't help but laugh. Maybe, after all this time, Castiel wasn’t as immune to Dean, as Dean thought he was.

Time passed quickly on the lake, and Dean was eventually able to convince Castiel to stop 'arting' and eat. Even if the other man had been so distracted with his project and the lake in general, that it had taken Dean threatening to eat Castiel’s half of the sandwich to get him to finally look up and set his pad down. 

“Oh man.” Dean laughed, at some point Castiel had rubbed a thick line of black charcoal along his cheek. “How do you always end up wearing more of your supplies then your art?” Dean asked, and without thinking reached out and began to rub the thick line with his finger.

Castiel stilled under his ministrations, eyes wide, lips parted. And Dean couldn't help but feel that this, right now, this was the time, just to kiss him and be done. He’ll know and that will be that. His feelings for his friend will be there out in the open, finally. But once again, he didn’t. Pulling his hand back, Dean licked his lips, “Right... There you go.” He said before dropping Castiels gaze and looking back out over the lake again.

“Thanks…” Castiel whispered, as Dean settled back on his side of the boat. He didn't look back until the sound of charcoal adjacent paper filled the air again, and after that, he couldn't stop stealing glances at his oldest friend. Completely unable to ignore how passionate and focused Castiel always was, it was intense. Dean had always admired that about Cas; his ambition, how he never gave a fuck about anything anyone else thought of him. How he maddeningly pursued his goals. 

When Cas had come out as pansexual, it had seemed so natural on him. No one blinked an eye at it, just another day with Castiel, but it had rocked Dean’s world. Dean pulled his gaze away from his friends profile, settled back in the canoe, closing his eyes and letting the bright sun overhead warm his skin. Dean’s remembered the days after Cas's announcement, how his own world of overbearing fathers, and baseball, and preconceived notions of love and success had shattered. Dean let out a rough sigh. Curling his hands behind his head he let the gentle rocking of the boat and the scratching of Castiel's charcoal pencil lull his stress away.

“Dean…”

“Dean… wake up.”

Dean snapped awake, rocking the canoe they were in. “Jesus…” He groaned, the boat gave a lurch and Castiel yelped, gripping the edge.

“Sorry Cas.” He grumbled, sitting up and rubbing his eyes. Again Castiel had rubbed charcoal all over his face and Dean couldn’t do anything but laugh. The man was adorable.

“Please, no worries. You were perfect today Dean, as always. Thank you for all of your help. I find I get so much more work done when you’re around.” Castiel sighed happily as he flipped his sketchbook closed and slipped it back into his bag. “I think we should head back now, most of the other boats have been back for some time.”

“Sure thing Cas." Dean winked as he picked up the oar again, "I know you only love me for my muscle.” He turned them back towards the shore. 

\------

“Hey Winchester!” Gordon’s voice pulled Dean from whatever Castiel had been saying. Something about a museum and a limited showing. He didn’t understand but Cas was excited about it, so it must be good.

Gordon, Al, Cole, and Inias were heading their way and Gordon looked like he had just won nationals. The shit eating grin split his normally indignant face. His dark eyes flicked between Dean and Castiel, his smile growing wider.

“Hey, Cassie was it?” Gordon asked, as the group came to a stop in front of them. Gordon looked fit to burst. “Good friend of yours, huh Dean?” Gordon went on his tone overly light. Dean narrowed his eyes at his teammate. 

“His names Castiel and yeah he is...” Dean said suspiciously.

“Dean and I have been very close since high school.” Castiel offered, obviously, not picking up on the dangerous vibe in the air.

“That right?” Gordon said, feigning surprise. “Long time, huh? So... You guys always go on romantic dates together?” He said with an overly casual shrug. The motion seemed to embolden the group, because Al and Inas began to snicker behind him.

“What?” Dean asked, feeling a crack in his carefully constructed foundation beginning to form.

Gordon pulled the campus newspaper out from his back pocket and held it up like it was a poster. The front article was about the romantic vistas of the newly reopened lake and walking trail, and right there, as the main photo of the article, were Cas and Dean. Dean groaned, and he felt Cas stiffen at his side. 

The photo was taken at the exact moment Dean had reached out to rub the charcoal from Castiel’s face. It looked bad. It looked like one of those stupid romantic comedy movie posters. Them in their stupid little canoe, framed by the stupid weeping willow, and the stupid cherry blossom trees. The longer Dean looked at the photo, the more he saw his stupid love stricken face staring at Cas’s… stupid… love stricken….. face…? It couldn't be? Could it?

  
  


Dean glanced at Cas and saw the blush rising over his features. God he was beautiful, all that dark hair, those blue eyes, brimming with so much passion and strength. He watched as Castiel's chin came up, his eyes flashing, determined and righteous, as they caught Dean’s, and Dean knew it was now or never. He knew, deep down in his soul, that whatever he said in this moment Castiel would back, but it would change them forever.

He wasn’t going to fuck it up.

“Got something you wanna tell us Winchester?” Gordon taunted. “Wouldn’t be nuthin' that would ruin your full ride here, would it?” Al burst out laughing, clutching his side and leaning against Gordon.

“Yeah, always thought you were a bit of a queer!” Al wheezed, over Gordon’s shoulder. 

Dean’s hands tightened into fists at his side, Cole and Inias had the good graces to looked uncomfortable, however it was Castiel's reaction that sealed Dean's decision on how he was going to handle this. Castiel looked like he would reign fire down from the heavens, if he could and for some reason, the fire in those blue eyes, brought a strange sense of calm to Dean. Seeing Castiel get so angry on his behalf. Dean smiled.

“Naw, Gordon, I don’t have anything to tell you.” Dean said calmly, his smile growing as Castiel looked over at him, confused. Dean lifted his arm and draped it over Castiel’s shoulder. Hoping he wasn’t wrong, hoping that the way Castiel looked in that newspaper article was really how he felt about Dean. Castiel instinctively leant against into his body, and Dean knew he was making the right decision. Smirking he said, “You got anything to tell them, babe?” 

Without waiting, Dean lifted Castiel's chin and pressed a soft kiss to his lips. Felling the other man’s breath catch, feeling no resistance at all to his advances, Dean leaned in and deepened the kiss. Castiel’s hands came up and fisted against the front of Dean's shirt. Dean pulled back just slightly, completely lost in the shimmering blue of Castiel’s eyes, he whispered “Been wanting to do that for years now, Cas.”

“God, me too!” Cas laughed, throwing his arms around Deans shoulders and kissing him back.

“You fucking faggot.” Gordon sneered, causing Dean to pull back from Cas’s lips, an angry frown on his face. “I’ll be sure you get kicked off the team, I won’t play ball with some cock sucker like you.” 

“Actually Godron, I think it’s you we're going to have a problem with.” Head coach Singer's voice called from where he’d been standing in the doorway to the locker rooms. “Discrimination, name calling, defamatory language... I don’t think our team has a place for someone as intolerant as you.”

Gordon stared, open mouthed, at their coach. 

“What! You’ve got to be kidding me, Coach! We’ll be a laughing stock with this fagg…”

“That’s enough Gordon! One more word and I’ll be filing sexual discrimination paperwork on behalf of Winchester and his partner. Now get in my office, or do you want your seven game suspension to turn into something more!” Singer barked “You too Alistar!”

Dean couldn't help but smile, the man of his dreams tucked under his arm, the bane of his existence suspended, if not fully barred, from their team. Dean never thought in his wildest dreams he could be so happy. Gordon and Al slunk off towards the locker room, Cole and Inas made themselves scarce. Castiel reached up his paint covered fingers sliding through Dean's hair. 

“You’re serious right?” He asked, his voice trembled slightly. “Because I was, I swear.”

“Hell yea.” Dean smiled, closing the distance between them and sealing their lips together. Everything was perfect, Dean finally felt like the pieces of his life fit together seamlessly. 

Castiel was magic, well, ok, maybe a little bit of it was the canoe.

**Author's Note:**

> Follow up:
> 
> Dean frames the photo from the paper. He goes out and raids every building on campus until he finds four more copies, he's a sentimental sap and he wants to have spares in case the first fades. Cas gets accepted into his graduate program and his project: Visions of Reflection, is a smash hit. Dean's team goes on to win nationals and he gets picked up for the minors. Sadly, he never makes the majors, but thats alright by Dean. At Dean's very last game, he calls Cas out to first base and proposes in front of thirty thousand screaming fans and both of their families, well everyone except John, but thats a tale for another day. They finally adopt a dog and Castiel gets Dean to spend every Sunday, walking through their local park. And every year on the exact date, you will find Cas and Dean out on the lake with a sandwich, two beers and a bottle of water. Just floating and existing, and maybe, sometimes, sharing a kiss.
> 
> So yeah, Happily ever after never felt so good.


End file.
